Who Are We?

   The Wisconsin Film School is a nonprofit community of filmmakers based in Madison. We instruct, collaborate with, and support filmmakers and filmmaking in all genres and disciplines. Through workshops, gatherings, competitions and festivals the arts of filmmaking and digital media are promoted. We take special interest in the promotion and education of filmmakers of color, underserved communities and activists.

E-mail: Info(at)wisconsinfilmschool.org

U.S. mail: Wisconsin Film School
           2301 Monterey Drive
           Madison, WI 53704

       The school was founded by Jim Carrier, a journalist and filmmaker with 40 years experience creating major media projects. Author of nine books, contributor to the National Geographic, New York Times and Cruising World, Jim created Southern Poverty Law Center films, Web sites, museum audio and citizen guides.

    Board members include:

Martha Busse, photographer and graduate of our inaugural class.

Carrie Kilman, author and human rights activist.

Dennis Shaffer, independent filmmaker and WORT-FM producer.

Charles Uphoff, screenwriter and community media activist.

Wendy Taeubur, international aid and film consultant.

Our Workshops

The Wisconsin Film School was launched as a Wisconsin nonprofit corporation in August 2008. We are not a brick-and-mortar school, but rather a collective that puts its resources into instruction and practical experience. Our workshops vary, from making YouTube videos for fun and nonprofits, to sound design, to actual movie production. We hold our workshops at the Neighborhood House Community Center. Our sponsors include Sony Creative Software, Full Compass, and  WYOU-TV.

Here is a sample of our past workshops:

October 18-19, 2008
Making a super-low cost feature film. Sound Design. Making a YouTube video.



Thirty-two filmmakers and students gathered for classes on making low-cost feature films and YouTube videos, and sound design. Instructors Kelley Baker and Dave Hill dished out practical and enjoyable information over two days. Students made a powerful YouTube video and left hungry to start making their own films. They urged us to build on this community. Sony Creative Software of Madison handed out $1,000 in software programming, including Vegas editing software.

May 30, 2009
YouTube For Social Change

Thirty students registered for a day-long workshop in creating YouTube videos for nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups. Instructors included Jane Bartell of Project Girl, Mike Underwood of Velocity, Photographer Martha Busse, Sony VP Dave Hill, filmmaker Karen Rybold-Chin, Sony instructor Sam Fares, WYOU's Eric Allin and WFS's Jim Carrier. Students were instructed in and practiced sound and film shooting and editing. Students made an easy advocacy film and uploaded it to YouTube.
 Sony gave away 10 film editing software packages.

September 2009
"Hits" (The Mustard Movie)
Seven students, a staff of five, and 30 extras produced a 10-minute film for the Mustard Museum. It will premiere April 10, 2010. For a look at a real filmmaking workshop, take a look at these location photos.